Apparatus for depositing long pieces of material, such as pipes, rods, etc., are known. Such apparatus generally comprise shelf units having rows of shelves that are disposed one above each other and next to one another, with a passageway being provided between each two adjacent rows of shelf units. Disposed in this passageway between the rows of shelf units is a vertically movable lifting platform with which the long pieces of material are conveyed to the individual receiving spaces that are superimposed over one another. To convey the long pieces of material into the individual receiving space via the lifting platforms, receptacles are used that accommodate the long pieces of material and that can be introduced into the individual receiving spaces to deposit the material, and after being emptied are again withdrawn. The shelf units, with their rows of shelves, comprise vertical posts that are connected by horizontal crossbeams.
With one heretofore known apparatus for depositing long pieces of material into the receiving spaces of such a shelf unit, a trough or tray-like receptacle is provided that can be introduced into, and withdrawn from, the individual receiving spaces via rollers. For this purpose, it is necessary that each of the plurality of receiving spaces provided in a shelf unit for the long pieces of material be equipped with transport rails upon which the rollers of the receptacle can travel. These transport rails must structurally be oriented precisely with the track width of the rollers and, since the weight of a receptacle that is loaded with long pieces of material is very high, must be of appropriately substantial dimensions. These rails are generally formed by L-or U-shaped profiled members. Thus, with the heretofore known construction, the L- or U-shaped rails must conform to the respective construction of the receptacle, in particular to the spacing of the individual rollers of this receptacle. Since great weights must be transported and deposited, these profiled rails are furthermore very heavy; viewed as a whole, these rails require a considerable technical and economical outlay.
It is an object of the present invention to embody an apparatus of the aforementioned general type in such a way that profiled rails for introducing the receptacle for the long pieces of material are no longer necessary, so that an individual structural conformation between the movable receptacle and the shelf unit is no longer required, and the shelf units can be lighter in weight and cheaper to produce.